Paul’s Theology of Righteousness – Part 4

• • Kingdom: the spiritual realm that has God as its head
  • His righteousness: how God makes you righteous before him; His way of making you righteous before Him
• We are to seek the spiritual realm that has God as its head, and HIS way of making us righteous before Him. This enables us to receive ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE WORLD SEEKS AFTER!!

• • “Exalted:” to lift up
  • “Above measure:” beyond the mark; i.e. Beyond the usual level of the life of humanity
    • How? Through the abundance of revelation!!!
    • With every revelation in the Word there is the power raise you up and throw you beyond the usual mark!!
  • “Infirmities:” weakness; inability to produce results
    • The only people that can tap into His strength are those that admit they can’t do it.
• Paul’s thorn, AS DEFINED BY SCRIPTURE, was a messenger FROM Satan sent to BUFFET him BECAUSE God had given him an abundance of revelation.
  • By this revelation Paul had the opportunity to be lifted and thrown beyond the usual mark for a human. Satan was trying to lessen His impact in the world.
  • “Buffet:” blow after blow
• Paul’s thorn was not a sickness. The only blow after blow in Paul’s life is when he entered a town and the Jews would rise up against him again and again and again.
• “Thorn in the flesh:” a Hebraism used in both testaments to represent personalities that become a hindrance

Paul’s revelation:

1. Man’s condition without righteousness

• Leaven of Herod: Hedonism
  • ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. ²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. ²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:18-32 NKJV    
• Leaven of the Pharisees: legalism
  • ¹⁰ As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹ There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. ¹² They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” ¹³ “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; ¹⁴ “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways; ¹⁷ And the way of peace they have not known.” ¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:10-23 NKKJV

2. How God made righteousness available to man

•  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
  • He gave us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• ¹⁷ For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) ¹⁸ Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. ¹⁹ For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, ²¹ so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:17-21 NKJV
  • “Reign:” to be predominant,  to prevail, to have superior or full dominion

1. 1. Dominion
   2. To partake of and enjoy all that God has provided
   3. To dress and keep it (responsibility)
   4. Fellowship with God

1. To exercise dominion in the earth

• Dominion:
  • Subjugate
  • Dominate
  • Rule

• • Our ability to dominate is directly related to our position with God.
  • Our right standing is more precious than Adam’s because ours cost Jesus His life.
  • Our right standing is more solid than Adam’s because it’s His righteousness.

2. To partake of and enjoy all that God has provided

• • Dominion over the the thief
  • Life more abundant